Wild Wild West

Wild Wild West is a 1999 American steampunk western action-comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. A big-screen adaptation of the 1965–1969 TV series The Wild Wild West, it stars Will Smith, Kevin Kline (who appears in dual roles as the protagonist Artemus Gordon and as President Ulysses S. Grant), Kenneth Branagh, and Salma Hayek.

Similar to the series, the film features a large amount of gadgetry. It serves as a parody, however, as the gadgetry is more highly advanced, implausible steampunk technology and bizarre mechanical inventions, including innumerable inventions of the mechanological geniuses Artemus Gordon and Dr. Loveless, such as nitroglycerine-powered penny-farthing bicycles, spring-loaded notebooks, bulletproof chain mail, flying machines, steam tanks, and Loveless's giant mechanical spider.

Wild Wild West was a commercial disappointment, earning only $222.1 million worldwide against a $170 million budget, and received predominantly negative reviews.

Plot

In 1869 U.S. Army Captain James West and U.S. Marshal Artemus Gordon hunt for Confederate General "Bloodbath" McGrath, who is wanted for mass murder, throughout the Southern United States. This is due to McGrath ordering a massacre in a settlement called New Liberty, where many of the freed slaves were murdered, including West's biological parents. The search leads to a brothel where the two try (unsuccessfully) to arrest him. It leads to a huge brawl and a cart of nytroglycerin crashing into the building that starts a fire. Both West and Gordon, the latter dressed as a woman, escape. Later, in Washington, D.C., West and Gordon meet at the White House with President Ulysses S. Grant, who tells them about the disappearance of America's key scientists and a treasonous plot by General "Bloodbath" McGrath. Grant charges the two with finding the scientists before he inaugurates the first transcontinental railroad at Promontory, Utah.

Wild Wild West (disambiguation)

Wild Wild West or The Wild Wild West may also refer to:

Film and television

Music

Other

Wild, Wild West (The Escape Club song)

"Wild, Wild West" is a song by The Escape Club from their similarly named debut album, Wild Wild West. The single hit the charts in late 1988 eventually reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of November 12, 1988, making The Escape Club the only British artist to have a No. 1 hit in America while never charting in the UK.

The lyrics, with phrases such as "I love her eyes and her wild, wild hair," "heading for the '90s, living in the wild, wild west," are augmented with gunshot sound effects. Critics have noted that portions of the song bore a strong similarity to Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up" due to the distinct drum beat and vocal patterns during the verses.

The music video is noted for using mirror imaging of actors to give the illusion of disembodied arms and legs.

In 1989, Wally Wingert parodied it on the Dr. Demento radio show as "Adam West," in response to the casting of Michael Keaton as the title character for that year's Batman film.